Pitching Practice Frequency

[203011120]

How often should a pitcher practice in order to be highly effective? How often should he take breaks? It appears you have to be the best of the best to play at the college level. We don't want to get left behind although my son is already a great pitcher at 13.

tks

[jamesh23]

the best of the best, of course, BUT he's 13, is he even playing highschool yet? I take it he's barely coming out of little league? anyway for someone that age I would say 3 times a week with 75 pitches or so at 80% intensity, when he gets say 15-16 he can go 3-4 times a week 80-90 pitches at 85% and then one day a week go 100%... I just made that up based off of stuff I heard so dont follow this unless someone backs me up, also dont have him throwing breaking balls too early.

[Go Cardinals]

How often should a pitcher practice in order to be highly effective? How often should he take breaks? It appears you have to be the best of the best to play at the college level. We don't want to get left behind although my son is already a great pitcher at 13.

tks

Put up video... I'm sure the pitching gurus will find ways for him to improve.
:atthepc:dismay::baseball::party::p:think::rant: :ughh

*the smilies are for no reason...*

[TG Coach]

Pitchers should throw some every day except maybe the day after pitching depending on how his arm feels. As for pitching at age thirteen, he should throw between 75-100 pitches a week depending on his physical development. A chronological thirteen year old can be physically sixteen or ten years old. He should also get at least three months off from throwing over the course of the year. Here's a website to look at. http://www.asmi.org/asmiweb/usabaseball.htm

You don't have to worry about your son getting left behind at thirteen. A lot of pitchers don't pitch until high school. A friend of mine was the chubby spaz in LL who didn't make the LL all-star team. He caught because he was the chubby kid who couldn't run. He became a good high school catcher. Then he started pitching when his high school needed pitchers his junior year. He became a 6'4", 245, 90+mph throwing closer in MLB.

I'll take a chance your son is 13U since you mentioned being thirteen. It's the first year pitching from sixty feet (if not he's had one year on the big field). The game slows down the first year on the big field. Then it gets progressively faster each year. Don't think about college when your son hasn't proven he can make the high school freshman team, much less the varsity. And don't put the pressure on him. It's his game. Then D1 college baseball is several notches above high school. A good high school player can find a D3 somewhere to play for and still enjoy the competition. If you're looking for baseball to pay for college, start saving your money. There are only 11.7 scholarships for twenty-seven players in D1 ball. In D3 there aren't scholarships.

I get concerned when parents worry about falling behind at thirteen. These are the parents who tend to take the game too seriously. They're always analyzing. They take a lot of the fun out of the game for their kids. He's the one that has to want it. There will be days you think he should be practicing while he's on his XBox looking at you with contempt if you say anything. Let him be a kid.

This is coming from a parent who played college ball, following his dad who played college ball. My father never said a word about playing at any level. He was only happy I was enjoying the game that day, that season. I've done the same for my kids. The oldest is now playing D1. The youngest is playing high school ball.

If you place a video of your son pitching on the board, it will get analyzed to death. It can be good if you pay attention to the constructive critique. I can be bad if you start worrying about your son being behind. My son's mechanics were inconsistant until last year at age fourteen. It all started coming together. Be patient. Until the mechanics came together I didn't let him pitch a lot which is another subject. Even major college pitchers get to pro ball and get told they're doing things wrong. No one will remember who the 13U pitching studs are unless it's in a conversation about overuse and blowing out their arm. The journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Relax, enjoy your son loves the game. Love and passion for the game will take him a lot further than parental pushing.

[203011120]

Thanks TG Coach for the great advice. Ha, it is easy to get too serious with how competitive baseball is getting at the Little League, AAU, and USSA levels. My son has played since he could throw a ball and has always been a top player.

This is his second year pitching at 60 feet as he played 14U when he was 12. He is looking to play middle school ball in the Spring. Although we don't want to get a head of ourselves regarding High School ball, he has played for the high school pitching coach in travel baseball. In fact, he is coached by him once a week in pitching.

It's tough on kids when their friends grow at faster rates or sooner. My son has been slow to shoot up and has been moved to back of the batting order based on his size. He holds his own pitching. He has been the top pitcher on each team he has played for. We would like to stay ahead ot his curve.

Thank you very much for your sound advice. Sometimes we need to get grounded. I want him to love an enjoy the sport. Otherwise, we shouldn't do it.

I am working on the video. I need to get a recorder. Working on that.

Have a great Christmas and New Year.

[203011120]

Thanks for your help. We need the right balance.

[APPpitch]

Perfect advice from TG Coach.

From 13-16, work on all facets of the game. Introduce the nuances of the game. If he is as good as you say, he will play Varsity as a Sophomore or Junior.

Now, none of what he does will matter between these ages except to him. If you and he have worked hard enough to be good enough, let him enjoy that result.

Nothing will amount to anything but fun, until he is a Junior or Senior throwing 85mph or better or hitting the ball 400 feet. Once that happens, it's time to be serious and you can turn your attention to D1. Believe me, if he throws 90mph, MLB scouts will find him at such a young age. He'll stick out like a sore thumb.

So you have this window of opportunity to teach him good disciplined work ethics, the finer points of the game and let his love for it grow naturally.

If you do it right, at 16 or 17, his own fire will burn. If he graduates to the levels I described above, he can seriously take matters into his own hands as you figure out what college he should attend.

Between now and then, practice like there is no tomorrow, play like you have a lifetime, and back every tough game up with, "Don't worry, you'll get 'em next time." And watch the reaction on his face when you say that. The stress of the day gets wiped away in a brief moment.

For baseball, just like the song, "You Can't Hurry Love."

-scott

ps. "There are no miracles in the game of baseball. Miracles have been rehearsed hundreds of times in practice." - Scott Waz

[203011120]

Thanks APPpitch. Some great advice to live by. I especially like the "don't worry, you'll get them next time". That is sure to lift a heavy load. Sometimes we as parents create pressures that we don't intend to create for our kids.

tks

[CoachW]

203011120, I really admire your enthusiasm.
Ok now it is time to get to business:)
I have a few questions for you. Does your son have the same passion for the game as you do?? Do you sometimes feel as if you have to make him workout/pitch/practice when he doesn't really want to? Do you find yourself getting frustrated/agitated when he makes a mistake on the field? If you answered yes to any of the these 3 questions then you might reconsider what you are doing(sounds like an AA thing:). Take it easy. Don't burn your kid or YOURSELF out. He is 13(which means he is in like 8th grade?). Let his natural ability take him for now and then in a couple years you can start getting more serious. At least wait until he is 15. I know they have all these leagues, but your kid WILL get burned out. I have seen it over and over. I have coached a long time and parents(including myself) have to sometimes just sit back and let things happen. My 2 cents.
PS You sound like an awesome dad that wants the best for his kid. Just take it down a notch, well more like 2.

Coach W

[203011120]

Thanks CoachW. I get the point and all the great advice that I have been getting. I love my son and want the best for him. He feels good about himself when he excels and loves the sport. I just want to be sure he lives up to his potential. I understand from everyone that we need to tone it down. We have plenty of time given his young age.

We just finished a Little League season where we went 17-0 based on my son's leadership in pitching. We also went to the All-Stars, but our team lacked great pitching all around so we got knocked out in a one single elimination game. It is hard to see him loose his mechanics when we lay off (especially with middle school tryouts coming up in February). But I undertand he (and we) and need the break. I don't want him to burn out, and I definately don't want him to pursue anything he doesn't love. We are taking a break now. In fact, we are not even speaking the word baseball.

Thanks again for the great advice. I feel you guys really care and it's wonderful to see all the great responses. I know everyone is very busy. The fact that you take the time to write a note is truly commendable.

Tks

[CoachW]

Good idea of not even saying the word baseball for a while. Good luck to your son this upcoming season!!! The fun will be starting soon. 2 months and then try-outs. :dance
Coach W